𝑬𝒗𝒆𝒓 𝑺𝒊𝒏𝒄𝒆 𝑵𝒆𝒘 𝒀𝒐𝒓𝒌 {𝑯.𝑺}

Chapter Six | Reflection

I felt like death.

Every muscle in my body ached. Every breath caused me pain, every noise made my head pound.

I was reluctant to open my eyes. It felt like heavy bricks were being pressed against my lids.

"Mia?" The voice was soft, uncharacteristically delicate compared to the boisterous greeting that Alice always gave me. I didn't have to open my eyes to know that it was her.

The air reeked of her fruity perfume and her cold bony fingers were intertwined with mine.

"Can you hear me? It's Alice." She added, speaking to me as if I was some fragile little being.

My lips twitched at the remark. "No shit." I drawled sarcastically. My voice was rough and gravelly from being unused.

I hesitantly blinked at her, wincing at the way that the fluorescent lights made my head spin. My eyes pooled with tears, failing to adjust to the bright room around me.

Alice interrupted my field of vision, face completely ashen. She had dark circles under her eyes with sunken cheeks and chapped lips. Her hair was a haystack, skin filled with dried tear stains and mascara streaks. "How're you feeling?" She asked.

"Like I just got shot and nearly died."

She rolled her eyes, starting to become impatient. "Can you be serious for one second?"

"I am being serious." I gave her a toothy grin. "My body feels as if it's been set on fire."

She grimaced. "They said they gave you morphine. I'll go tell them..." She rose to her feet, trailing off with an intention to find any doctors. But I stopped her before she could.

"I think I'm fine for now." I mumbled. "The pain makes me feel like a badass anyways."

That caused her to laugh. "More like a dumbass."

"Eh," I shrugged, ignoring the way my muscles screamed. "Same difference."

The air filled with silence as I observed my surroundings, taking in the room that I happened to be staying in. Balloons were everywhere, along with jackets and food. My eyebrows furrowed at the sight, wondering why there was so much stuff with only Alice by my side.

"Some of your students came by earlier. They dropped off a shitload of gifts." Alice began to explain. She showed me numerous trinkets that littered the tables; from chocolate chip cupcakes to 'get well soon' cards. "They've been here every day, waiting for you to wake up-"

I couldn't help but grow alarmed. "Every day?" My eyebrows furrowed. "How long have I been here, Alice?"

She looked hesitant to answer, gauging my reaction. "Well, the doctors said that you're making a great recovery. You're so strong, Mia. And the-"

"How long?"

A pause filled the air before she mumbled, "Five days." She winced at the way that I scoffed. "You were in ICU for three. Then they transferred you here. It's the second day since then." She paused to allow me to register her words. "You were in and out for a while. But you couldn't talk because of the tubes and you were very lucid from the morphine so-"

"That doesn't sound like a great recovery to me." My voice raised in pitch, jaw dropping at the fact that I somehow skipped five days in the future without any knowledge.

"Calm down, please." Alice glanced at the heart monitor beside me. "I don't want you to exert yourself."

My pulse was quickening by each passing second.

"I should alert the doctor that you're awake." Alice announced, standing to her feet.

I nodded, trying to calm down as I came to terms with all of this. "Alice?"

She turned around and raised an eyebrow. "Yes?"

"How is he?"

Her features morphed into confusion. "Who?"

"Harry." I answered. "Harry Styles." Her expression resolved in realization as I continued. "He's safe, right?"

"Yeah, he's...safe." Her eyes flickered with an indecipherable emotion. "Actually, he should be here soon. He always stops by around this time."

My heart dropped at her words. "He what?"

But she didn't acknowledge my question, laughing lightly before smiling. "I'll be right back. I need to tell the doctor that you're awake."

And then she left me in the hospital room, trying to process the fact that I just jumped in front of a bullet to save the life of a celebrity.